The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

VATICAN CITY, 29 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for August is: "That World Youth Day in Madrid may encourage young people throughout the world to have their lives rooted and built up in Christ".

His mission intention is: "That Western Christians may be open to the action of the Holy Spirit and rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith".BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20110729 (80)

VATICAN CITY, 29 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Given below is a list of the major events involving Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy See which occurred between the months of April and July 2011.

APRIL

1: Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil C.SS.R., Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India, dies at the age of 83.

1: Law 127 concerning the prevention and countering of the laundering of proceeds from criminal activities and of the financing of terrorism comes into force. The Law was published on 30 December 2010 together with the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI's "Motu Proprio" Apostolic Letter on the same subject.

7: The Holy Father receives in audience a group of bishops of the Syro-Malabar rite, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

11: Benedict XVI receives the Letters of Credence of Filip Vucak, the new ambassador of Croatia to the Holy See.

11-13: Meeting of the Commission established by Benedict XVI in 2007 to study the most important issues regarding the Catholic Church in China.

12: Publication of a decree by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments establishing that the annual celebration of the Memorial of Blessed John Paul II be inserted into the calendar of the diocese of Rome and the dioceses of Poland, on 22 October.

13: Presentation of "Youcat", the Catechism of the Catholic Church aimed at the young, which will be distributed to participants in the twenty-sixth World Youth Day, to be held in Madrid from 16 to 21 August.

14: The Holy Father receives in audience Valdis Zatlers, president of the Republic of Latvia.

16: Benedict XVI, on his eighty-fourth birthday, receives the Letters of Credence of Maria Jesus Figa Lopez-Palop, the first woman to serve as Spain's ambassador to the Holy See.

18: Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini, archbishop emeritus of Turin, Italy dies at the age of 86.

29: Inauguration of the exhibition: "John Paul II: Homage of Benedict XVI for the Beatification" in the Charlemagne Wing under the colonnade of St. Peter's Square.

30: Prayer vigil in preparation for the beatification of John Paul II, held in Rome's Circus Maximus in the presence of 200,000 people.

MAY

1: Cardinal Agustin Garcia-Gasco Vicente, archbishop emeritus of Valencia, Spain, dies at the age of 80.

1: Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Benedict XVI presides at the rite of beatification of John Paul II.

2: Holy Father receives in audience Bronislaw Komorowski, president of the Republic of Poland.

2: Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. presides at a Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of Pope John Paul II.

3: The mortal remains of Blessed John Paul II are laid in the Chapel of St. Sebastian in the Vatican Basilica.

16: Holy Father receives a group of prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

21: Benedict XVI converses via satellite with the crew of the International Space Station, on the occasion of the space shuttle Endeavour's last mission.

24: Presentation of the document "Family: Work and Celebration", a preparatory catecheses for the seventh World Meeting of Families. The gathering will take place in Milan, Italy, from 30 May to 3 June 2012.

26: Benedict XVI presides at the Rosary in the basilica of St. Mary Major, together with the bishops of Italy, and entrusts the people of Italy to the Blessed Virgin Mary on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the country's political unification.

30: Holy Father receives a group of prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

JUNE

3: Benedict XVI receives in audience Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.

4-5: Pope's Apostolic trip to Croatia.

9: The Holy Father receives the Letters of Credence of six new ambassadors to the Holy See: Stefan Gorda of Moldavia, Narciso Ntugu Abeso Oyana of Equatorial Guinea, Henry Llewellyn Lawrence of Belize, Hussan Edin Aala of Syria, Genevieve Delali Tsegah of Ghana, and George Robert Furness Troup of New Zealand.

11: The Holy Father receives two thousand Gypsies from various European countries, representing the 12 million Gypsies scattered across the continent.

17: Benedict XVI receives a group of Indian prelates (from Madras-Mylapore, Madurai, Pondicherry and Raipur), who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

19: Holy Father makes a pastoral visit to the diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro.

30: Benedict XVI confers the first "Ratzinger Prize", an award established by the "Vatican Foundation: Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI", to: Manlio Simonetti, an Italian layman and scholar of ancient Christian literature and Patrology; Olegario Gonzalez de Cardedal, a Spanish priest and professor of systematic theology, and Maximilian Heim, a German Cistercian, abbot of the monastery of Heiligenkreuz in Austria and professor of fundamental and dogmatic theology.

30: Cardinal Georg Maximilian Sterzinsky, archbishop emeritus of Berlin, Germany, dies at the age of 75.

JULY

4: The Holy Father inaugurates an exhibition in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, entitled: "The splendour of truth, the beauty of charity: Homage of sixty artists to Benedict XVI for the sixtieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood".

5: The Pope visits the headquarters of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper, currently celebrating the 150th anniversary of its foundation. Its first edition appeared on 1 July 1861.

13: Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, announces a new pastoral initiative being promoted by his dicastery. The initiative has the name of "Metropolis Mission" and will begin in Lent 2012.

21: Cardinal Kazimierz Swiatek, archbishop emeritus of Minsk-Mohilev, Belarus, and former apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the diocese of Pinsk, dies at the age of 96.

24: Cardinal Virgilio Noe, archpriest emeritus of the Vatican Basilica, vicar general emeritus of the Pope for Vatican City State and president emeritus of the Fabric of St. Peter's, dies at the age of 89.

27: The Holy See and Malaysia decide by common accord to establish diplomatic relations at the level of apostolic nunciature on the part of the Holy See and of embassy on the part of Malaysia..../ VIS 20110729 (1130)

Thursday, July 28, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 28 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At 12.30 p.m. tomorrow in the Holy See Press Office a press conference will be held to present the new "iGPII" application for World Youth Day (WYD), which will be held next month in the Spanish capital Madrid. The application works on iPhones, iPods, iPads and devices which run the iOS operating system.

The new application, an initiative of the John Paul II Youth Foundation, has been developed by Futurtech & Adv Production and is available in five languages (Italian, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese). A communique released today explains that it will provide WYD participants with documents relating to the history of previous World Youth Days, an events programme and timetable, GPS positioning, and information on accommodation, food and drink, etc. Although it is principally aimed at participants in WYD, it will also be very useful for journalists.

Tomorrow's presentation will be presided by Marcello Bedeschi, president of the John Paul II Youth Foundation, and by Iacopo Barberini and Giovanni Leone of Futurtech. A number of iPads and iPhones will be available for journalists to consult, and those who wish to do so may download the new application onto their own devices.
OP/ VIS 20110728 (210)

VATICAN CITY, 28 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Following are highlights of the activities of Pope Benedict XVI and of the Holy See for the months of January to March 2011. Another summary, covering the period from April to July, will be published tomorrow.

JANUARY

14: Benedict XVI authorises the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Servant of God John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla).

15: In accordance with the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum coetibus" of Pope Benedict XVI (4 November 2009), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith erects a Personal Ordinariate within the territory of England and Wales for those groups of Anglican clergy and faithful who have expressed their desire to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church. The Decree of Erection specifies that the Ordinariate will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and will be placed under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman..

24: Presentation of the Holy Father's Message for the forty-fifth World Day of Social Communications, on the theme: "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age". The Day is celebrated on 5 June.

24: Benedict XVI receives a group from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, visiting Rome for the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

25: Publication of the Pope's Message for the eighty-fifth World Mission Day, which falls on Sunday 23 October. The theme of the document is: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you".

FEBRUARY

1: Publication of a Message from Benedict XVI to the second Latin-American Continental Congress for Vocations, being held in Cartago, Costa Rica, from 31 January to 5 February.

3: Presentation of Benedict XVI's Message for the nineteenth World Day of the Sick, to be held on 11 February

3: Benedict XVI receives the Letters of Credence of Alfons M. Kloss, the new ambassador of Austria to the Holy See.

10: Publication of the Pope's Message for the forth-eighth World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on 15 May on the theme: "Proposing Vocations in the Local Church".

17: The Holy Father receives in audience Dimitry Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation.

18: Benedict XVI receives a group of prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

22: Presentation of the 2011 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, entitled: "You were buried with Him in Baptism, in which you were also raised with Him".

24: The Holy Father receives in audience Michel Sleiman, president of the Republic of Lebanon.

28: The Holy Father receives in audience Jerzey Buzek, president of the European Parliament.

MARCH

1: A new "Law concerning citizenship, residency and access" to Vatican City, promulgated by Benedict XVI on 22 February, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, comes into effect today.

2: The Holy Father receives in private audience Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

3: The Holy Father receives in audience Sebastian Pinera Echenique, president of the Republic of Chile.

3: Benedict XVI receives a group of prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

4: The Holy Father receives in audience Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of the Republic of Iceland.

10: Presentation of the second volume of Benedict XVI's book on Jesus of Nazareth: "From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection".

15: Activation of a new Facebook page concerning John Paul II in view of his beatification, at the address: www.facebook.com/vatican.johnpaul2.

16: Publication of a Message from the Holy Father addressed to Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, for the 150th anniversary of the political unity of Italy, on 17 March.

18: Presentation of the "Courtyard of the Gentiles", an initiative by the Pontifical Council for Culture involving two days of meeting and dialogue between believers and non-believers in Paris, France, on 24 and 25 March.

20: Benedict XVI makes a pastoral visit to the Roman parish of St. Corbinian, where he celebrates Mass and consecrates the new church.

25: Benedict XVI receives prelates of the Syro-Malankar Church, who have just completed their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.

25: The Pope grants the "Ecclesiastica Communio" requested of him in accordance with canon 76 para. 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches by His Beatitude Bechara Rai, canonically elected as Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites by the Synod of Bishops of the Maronite Church meeting in Bkerke, Lebanon, on 15 March.

27: Benedict XVI visits Rome's "Fosse Ardeatine" to commemorate the 335 victims executed there in 1944 by German occupying forces in Rome, in reprisal for a bomb attack which had left thirty-three Germans dead.

28: The Holy Father receives in audience His Beatitude Chrysostomos II, archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, accompanied by Fr. Demosthenis Demosthenous and by Ioannis Charilaou.
.../ VIS 20110728 (850)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 27 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See and Malaysia, desirous of promoting bonds of mutual friendship, have decided by common accord to establish diplomatic relations at the level of apostolic nunciature on the part of the Holy See and of embassy on the part of Malaysia.

A communique published today explains that Malaysia is the 179th nation to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The country has a surface area of 329,750 square kilometres and a multi-racial and multi-cultural population of 28,306,700. The religion of State is Islam, professed by 60.4 percent of the inhabitants. The next largest religious group is the Buddhists (19.2 percent), followed by Christians (9.1 percent), Hindus (6.3 percent), Chinese religions (2.6 percent) and Animists (2.4 percent).

The Catholic Church has had a presence in the country since 1511, when the first Portuguese missionaries reached Malacca. St. Francis Xavier also arrived in that city in 1545. Today the Church has nine ecclesiastical circumscriptions centred on the archdioceses of Kuala Lumpur (on the peninsula) and of Kuching and of Kota Kinabalu (on the island of Borneo). There are eleven bishops, 274 diocesan priests, 119 regular priests, 123 male religious, 759 female religious and 270 major seminarians. Catholics number 850,720, around three percent of the population.

The Catholic Church, the communique explains, is active in evangelisation and in the pastoral care of families and young people. While fully respecting people's cultural and religious identity, she works in the fields of education, charity and social work, running numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as institutions for the poor and for migrant workers. Initiatives exist to promote social harmony and reconciliation among the various religious communities, through dialogue, equality of rights and duties, and mutual respect.

The apostolic delegation to Malaysia was created on 2 February 1998 and has existed until now.

On 18 July Benedict XVI received Najib Bin Abdul Razak, prime minister of Malaysia, in audience at the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo. During that meeting agreement was reached to establish diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See.
OP/ VIS 20110727 (360)

- Appointed Bishop Manoel dos Reis de Farias of Patos, Brazil, as bishop of Petrolina (area 15,622, population 421,836, Catholics 337,468, priests 36, religious 67), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Paulo Cardoso da Silva O. Carm., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same bishop the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Ivo Muser of the clergy of the diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, Italy, dean of the cathedral chapter in Bressanone, as bishop of the same diocese (area 7,400, population 500,030, Catholics 485,029, priests 700, permanent deacons 18, religious 800). The bishop-elect was born in Brunico, Italy in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1987. He succeeds Bishop Karl Gosler, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Msgr. Gilson Andrade da Silva of the clergy of the diocese of Petropolis, Brazil, rector of the diocesan seminary "Nossa Senhora do Amor Divino", as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Salvador da Bahia (area 3,859, population 3,210,878, Catholics 2,284,477, priests 283, permanent deacons 93, religious 1,070), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1991.NER:RE:NEA/ VIS 20110727 (230)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 26 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning at the altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided at a funeral Mass for Cardinal Virgilio Noe who died on 24 July at the age of 89. The Mass was concelebrated by a number of cardinals, archbishops and bishops.

Cardinal Noe had been archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, vicar general of the Pope for Vatican City State and president of the Fabric of St. Peter's..../ VIS 20110726 (100)

- Appointed Bishop Luc Cyr of Valleyfield, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Sherbrooke (area 8,000, population 338,000, Catholics 304.000, priests 261, permanent deacons 24, religious 951), Canada. He succeeds Archbishop Andre Gaumond, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. Antonino Raspanti of the clergy of the archdiocese of Trapani, Italy, professor of the history of spirituality at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. John the Evangelist in Palermo, Italy, as bishop of Acireale (area 665, population 228,500, Catholics 225,200, priests 168, permanent deacons 9, religious 332), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Alcamo, Italy in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1982. He succeeds Bishop Pio Vittorio Vigo, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the apostolic vicariate of Izabal, Guatemala, presented by Bishop Gabriel Penate Rodriguez, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

Monday, July 25, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 23 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a message of condolence, in the name of Benedict XVI, to King Harald V of Norway for the recent terrorist attacks that took place in that country.

The Pope expresses his profound sadness at the great loss of life caused by the explosion of a car bomb in Oslo and the shootings at a youth camp on the island of Utoya.

The English-language message continues by saying that Benedict XVI "offers fervent prayers for the victims and their families, invoking God's peace upon the dead and divine consolation upon those who suffer. At this time of national grief he prays that all Norwegians will be spiritually united in a determined resolve to reject the ways of hatred and conflict and to work together fearlessly in shaping a future of mutual respect, solidarity and freedom for coming generations".

VATICAN CITY, 23 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from the Pope, written in Latin and dated 12 July, in which he appoints Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico, as his special envoy to the closing celebrations of the Jubilee Year for the 375th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady of the Angeles, patron of Costa Rica. The event is due to be held in the Costa Rican city of Cartago on 2 August.

The cardinal will be accompanied on his mission by Fr. Mario Quiros Quiros, formator and spiritual director of the national seminary of "Nuestra Senora de los Angeles", and by Fr. Jose Francisco Arias Salguero, chancellor of the diocesan Curia and judge of the national ecclesiastical tribunal of Costa Rica.BXVI-LETTER/ VIS 20110725 (150)

- Appointed Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the centenary of the dedication of the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow, Russian Federation. The event is due to take place on 25 September.

- Gave his consent to the canonical election carried out by the Synod of Bishops of the Greek Catholic Ukrainian Church of Fr. Dmytro (Bobdan) Hryhorak O.S.B.M., apostolic administrator of the eparchy of Buchach of the Ukrainians, Ukraine, as bishop of the same eparchy (area 4,829, population 405,000, Catholics 216,000, priests 201, religious 22). The bishop-elect was born in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1992.NA:NER/ VIS 20110725 (130)

VATICAN CITY, 24 JUL 2011 (VIS) - In his remarks before praying the Angelus this morning, Benedict XVI commented on the first reading from today's liturgy, a passage from the Book of Kings in which Solomon, ascending the throne, asks God for an understanding heart to serve His people with justice and to distinguish between good and evil.

Addressing the faithful gathered in the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the Pope explained the meaning of Solomon's prayer. "We know that 'heart' in the Bible indicates not just a part of the body but the core of the individual, the seat of his intentions and judgments; in other words, his conscience. An 'understanding heart' means, then, a conscience capable of listening, sensitive to the voice of truth and thus able to distinguish good from evil. In Solomon's case the request is motivated by his responsibility for guiding a nation, Israel, the people whom God chose to reveal His plan of salvation to the world. The king of Israel must, then, seek constant harmony with God and listen to His Word, in order to guide the people along the ways of the Lord, the way of justice and peace.

"However", the Holy Father added, "the example of Solomon applies to us all. Each of us has a conscience which makes us, in a certain sense, 'king'; in other words, which enables us to exercise the supreme human dignity of acting according to right conscience, doing good and avoiding evil. Moral conscience presupposes a capacity to listen to the voice of truth, humbly to follow its guidance. People called to play a role in government naturally have a further responsibility and, as Solomon teaches, have even greater need of God's help.

"But everyone has their part to play in their own particular situation. An erroneous mentality suggests that we should ask God for favours or favourable conditions. Yet the truth is that the real quality of our lives, and of social life in general, depends on the sound conscience of each individual, on the capacity of each person to recognise what is good, distinguish it from evil and patiently seek to put it into effect".

Pope Benedict concluded: "May the Virgin Mary help us, with God's grace, to make out own consciences open to truth and sensitive to justice, in order to serve the Kingdom of God".ANG/ VIS 20110725 (410)

VATICAN CITY, 24 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today after praying the Angelus from his balcony overlooking the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the Pope again spoke of his "profound sadness at the serious acts of terrorism that took place in Norway last Friday. We pray for the victims, for the wounded and for their loved ones. Once again I would like to reiterate my heartfelt appeal to abandon forever the ways of violence and to shun the logic of evil".

The Holy Father then went on to greet faithful gathered in the Italian Alpine resort of Les Combes, where he has often spent time in the summer. They have, he observed, "participated in the Mass presided by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, my secretary of State, who was present despite being in mourning for a member of his own family [the cardinal's brother Paolo died on Friday]. I greet and thank the bishop of Aosta, the rector of the Salesians, the civil and military authorities of the region and the benefactors who have contributed to renewing the residence there. With particular affection I recall the time I spent in that beautiful spot, which was formed by the love of the Creator God and sanctified by the presence of Blessed John Paul II. To the young people and children of the parish of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati of Turin and to all holidaymakers I wish a happy summer".

VATICAN CITY, 25 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence to Maria Noe, sister of Cardinal Virgilio Noe, archpriest emeritus of the Vatican Basilica, vicar general emeritus of the Pope for Vatican City State and president emeritus of the Fabric of St. Peter's. The cardinal died yesterday at the age of 89.

In the telegram the Pope speaks of his participation in the mourning for the cardinal, "who was for many years a diligent collaborator of the Holy See, particularly in the Office of Liturgical Celebrations and as archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Peter's. In everything he did he provided highly-valued testimony of fervent priestly zeal and faithfulness to the Gospel".TGR/ VIS 20110725 (130)

"Following the release on 13 July of the report by the Irish government commission of enquiry into allegations of abuse of minors by clergy in the diocese of Cloyne (the Cloyne Report), and in particular in the wake of the subsequent reactions, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, apostolic nuncio in Ireland, has been recalled to Rome for consultations with the Secretariat of State".OP/ VIS 20110725 (90)

Friday, July 22, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 22 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a telegram of condolence to Bishop Aleksander Kaszkiewicz, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Belarus, for the death of Cardinal Kazimierz Swiatek, archbishop emeritus of Minsk-Mohilev and former apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the diocese of Pinsk. The cardinal died yesterday at the age of 96.

In his telegram the Pope recalls the late cardinal's "courageous witness to Christ and His Church during particularly difficult times, as well as the enthusiasm he later showed in contributing to the spiritual rebirth of his country. While expressing my deepest condolences to Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk-Mohilev, apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Pinsk, to the episcopate of Belarus, to priests and religious communities, and to all the faithful of the churches the late cardinal loved and served, I impart the comfort of a heartfelt apostolic blessing as a sign of faith and Christian hope in the risen Lord".

VATICAN CITY, 22 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Replying to journalists' questions concerning the current debate in Ireland about a report on abuse in the diocese of Cloyne, Holy See Press Office Director Federico Lombardi S.J. declared:

"I can confirm that the Holy See will respond appropriately to the questions raised by the Irish government about the report on the diocese of Cloyne. In any case, it is to be hoped that debate about such dramatic matters may continue with the necessary objectivity, so as to contribute to the cause which must be closest to everyone's heart: the protection of children and young people and, to that end, the restoration of an atmosphere of trust and collaboration in the Church and in society, as the Pope himself said in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland".

VATICAN CITY, 22 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Benedict XVI's elder brother Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, who until 1994 was director of the famous cathedral choir of Regensburg, has completed a book entitled "Mein Bruder, der Papst" (My Brother the Pope), written in collaboration with the German journalist Michael Hesemann.

The 256-page volume, illustrated with forty photographs, contains the memories of the Holy Father's brother, as recounted to Hesemann in Regensburg earlier this year. It has been published by the German publishing house Herbig and will go on sale in bookshops on 12 September, the eve of Benedict XVI's visit to Germany.

The culminating moment of the narrative is the sixtieth anniversary of the priestly ordination of Georg and Joseph Ratzinger. The two brothers were ordained in Freising on 29 June 1951 and this year celebrated their anniversary together in St. Peter's Basilica. The memories of Msgr. Ratzinger, the Holy Father's closest relative, go back to the brothers' childhood as he narrates, among other things, the flowering of Joseph's priestly vocation in the bosom of the family and his subsequent years of service to the Church before being elected to the Papacy..../ VIS 20110722 (200)

- Appointed Fr. Eduards Pavlovskis of the clergy of the archdiocese of Riga, Latvia, pastor of the parish of Christ the King, as bishop of Jelgava (area 13,620, population 329,724, Catholics 80,520, priests 27, religious 6), Latvia. The bishop-elect was born in Bresne, Latvia in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1975. He succeeds Bishop Antons Justs, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.NN:NER:RE/ VIS 20110722 (140)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 29 OCT 2010 (VIS) - For the occasion of Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to the Spanish capital Madrid to preside at twenty-sixth World Youth Day, statistics have been published concerning the Catholic Church in that country. The information, updated to 31 December 2010, comes from the Central Statistical Office of the Church. The Pope's journey is due to take place from 18 to 21 August.

Spain has a surface area of 505,992 square kilometres and a population of 46,073,000 of whom 42,470,000 (92.2 percent) are Catholic. There are 70 ecclesiastical circumscriptions and 22,890 parishes. Currently there are 126 bishops, 24,778 priests, 54,184 religious, 2,826 lay members of secular institutes and 99,581 catechists. Minor seminarians number 1,258 and major seminarians 1,866.

A total of 1,461,899 students attend 5,535 centres of Catholic education, from kindergartens to universities. Other institutions belonging to the Church or run by priests or religious in Spain include 77 hospitals, 54 clinics, 1 leper colony, 803 homes for the elderly or disabled, 391 orphanages and nurseries, 293 family counselling centres and other pro-life centres, 3,323 centres for education and social rehabilitation, and 632 institutions of other kinds.OP/ VIS 20110721 (200)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 20 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The programme of Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to Germany, due to last from 22 to 25 September, was announced today.

The Holy Father will depart from Rome's Ciampino airport at 8.15 a.m. on Thursday 22 September, landing at Berlin-Tegel airport at 10.30 a.m. The welcome ceremony and the courtesy meeting with Christian Wulff, president of the Federal Republic of Germany, will both take place at Bellevue Castle, official residence of the president. The Holy Father will then go on to the headquarters of the German Episcopal Conference in Berlin where he will encounter the federal chancellor.

In the afternoon he will visit the federal parliament, then meet representatives of the local Jewish community. At 6.30 p.m. he is due to celebrate Mass in Berlin's Olympic stadium.

At 9 a.m. on Friday 23 September the Holy Father will meet with representatives of the Muslim community at the apostolic nunciature in Berlin, before travelling by plane to the city of Erfurt. There he will visit St. Mary's Cathedral, address representatives of the German Evangelical Church Council and participate in an ecumenical celebration.

That afternoon he will be taken by helicopter to Etzelsbach where at 5.45 p.m. he is due to preside at Marian Vespers at the Wallfahrtskapelle. Following the celebration he will return to Erfurt.

On the morning of Saturday 24 September Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass at Erfurt's Domplatz before travelling by plane to the city of Freiburg im Breisgau where he will make a visit to the local cathedral. During the afternoon he will go to the local seminary where he will meet first with Helmut Kohl, former chancellor of Germany, then with representatives from the Orthodox Churches, followed by the seminarians themselves and finally the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK).

At 7 p.m. he is scheduled to preside at a prayer vigil with young people at the Fair of Freiburg im Breisgau.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday 25 September he will celebrate Mass and pray the Angelus at the airport of Freiburg im Breisgau.

Following Mass the Holy Father will have lunch with members of the German Episcopal Conference. At 4.20 p.m. he will meet with magistrates of the Federal Constitutional Court, then with a group of Catholics active in the Church and society.

Following the departure ceremony at the airport of Lahr, the papal plane will depart for Rome where it is expected to land at Ciampino airport at 8.45 p.m.PV-GERMANY/ VIS 20110720 (420)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

"As the Holy Father Benedict XVI recalled in an appeal he made following the Angelus on Sunday 17 July, the famine caused by a drought in the Horn of Africa is provoking a critical humanitarian emergency. Around ten million people are suffering, and hundreds of thousands of refugees risk dying because of a lack of basic necessities. Somalia and northern Kenya are the worst struck areas.

"As a sign of his closeness and concern the Pope has, via the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', sent the sum of euro 50,000 to Bishop Giorgio Bertin O.F.M., apostolic administrator of Mogadishu, who is directly involved in bringing assistance to the people affected".CON-CU/ VIS 20110719 (140)

- Appointed Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, as a counsellor of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

- Appointed Joseph F. X. Zahra, a member of the governing council of the "Centesimus Annus-Pro Pontefice" Foundation, as international reviser of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

- Appointed as members of the Academic Council of the Holy See's Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Universities and Ecclesiastical Faculties (AVEPRO): Fr. Gabino Uribarri Bilbao S.J., dean of the faculty of theology at the Pontifical University of "Comillias" in Madrid, Spain; Pascal Mueller-Jourdan, professor of theology at the faculty of theology in the "Universtie Catholique de l'Ouest", Angers, France, and Sigrid Muller, vice dean of the "Katholisch-Theologische Fakultat" at the University of Vienna, Austria.

- Appointed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. Cap. of Denver, U.S.A., as archbishop of Philadelphia (area 5,652, population 3,892,194, Catholics 1,464,938, priests 988, permanent deacons 234, religious 3,244), U.S.A. He succeeds Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Gregory John Hartmayer O.F.M. Conv., pastor of the parish of St. John Vianney at Lithia Springs in the archdiocese of Atlanta, U.S.A., as bishop of Savannah (area 95,928, population 2,904,000, Catholics 84,500, priests 104, permanent deacons 56, religious 114), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Buffalo, U.S.A. in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop John Kevin Boland, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.NA:NER:RE/ VIS 20110719 (370)

Monday, July 18, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 16 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today the Holy See released an English-language declaration regarding the episcopal ordination of Fr. Joseph Huang Bingzhang, which took place on Thursday 14 July in the diocese of Shantou (Province of Guangdong, Mainland China).

"1. Fr. Joseph Huang Bingzhang, having been ordained without papal mandate and hence illicitly, has incurred the sanctions laid down by canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law. Consequently, the Holy See does not recognise him as bishop of the diocese of Shantou, and he lacks authority to govern the Catholic community of the diocese.

"Fr. Huang Bingzhang had been informed some time ago that he could not be approved by the Holy See as an episcopal candidate, inasmuch as the diocese of Shantou already has a legitimate bishop; Fr. Huang had been asked on numerous occasions not to accept episcopal ordination.

"2. From various sources the Holy See had knowledge of the fact that some bishops, contacted by the civil authorities, had expressed their unwillingness to take part in an illicit ordination and also offered various forms of resistance, yet were reportedly obliged to take part in the ordination.

"With regard to this resistance, it should be noted that it is meritorious before God and calls for appreciation on the part of the whole Church. Equal appreciation is also due to those priests, consecrated persons and members of the faithful who have defended their pastors, accompanying them by their prayers at this difficult time and sharing in their deep suffering.

"3. The Holy See reaffirms the right of Chinese Catholics to be able to act freely, following their consciences and remaining faithful to the Successor of Peter and in communion with the universal Church.

"The Holy Father, having learned of these events, once again deplores the manner in which the Church in China is being treated and hopes that the present difficulties can be overcome as soon as possible".OP/ VIS 20110718 (330)

VATICAN CITY, 17 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today Benedict XVI appeared at the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered there.

Commenting, as he does every Sunday, on that morning's Gospel reading, the Pope explained how the parables are "brief narratives which Jesus uses to announce the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven. Using images and situations taken from everyday life, the Lord wishes to show us the true foundation of all things. He shows us ... the God Who acts, Who enters our daily lives".

Using these narratives, "the divine Master invites us to recognise, first and foremost, the primacy of God the Father. Where He is not present, nothing good can exist. He is a decisive priority in all things. The Kingdom of heaven means, in fact, the lordship of God; in other words, His will must be assumed as the criterion-guide for our existence".

In today's Gospel Jesus compares heaven to a field of wheat, "in order to help us understand that something small and hidden, but possessing an irrepressible life force, is sown within us. Despite all the obstacles, the seed will develop and the fruit ripen, but the fruit will be good only if the terrain of life has been cultivated in accordance with the divine will.

"For this reason", the Pope added, "in the parable of the weeds among the wheat Christ warns us that, after the master had sown his seed, 'while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat'. The meaning of this is that we must be ready to protect the grace we received on the day of Baptism, continuing to nourish faith in the Lord, which prevents evil from taking root".

Finally, the Pope turned his attention to the first reading of this morning's Mass, a passage from the Book of Wisdom underscoring the mercy and power of God. "If, then, we are all children of such a great and good Father", he said, "let us seek to resemble Him. This was the goal Jesus set Himself with His preaching, when He told His hearers: ''Be perfect ... as your heavenly Father is perfect".ANG/ VIS 20110718 (380)

VATICAN CITY, 17 JUL 2011 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus today in the inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the Pope spoke of the "deep concern with which I am following news from the Horn of Africa, especially Somalia, where a serious drought followed, in some areas, by torrential rains, has led to a humanitarian catastrophe. Countless people are fleeing terrible famine in search of food and assistance.

"I hope", he added, "that international mobilisation will increase and much-needed aid will continue to reach these our sorely tried brothers and sisters, among whom are many children. May those who suffer not lack our solidarity and the concrete support of all people of good will".

Turning then to address French-speaking pilgrims the Holy Father remarked that "the holidays are certainly a good time for cultural and spiritual enrichment. Through the many sites and monuments you visit", he told them, "you may discover the beauty of the universal heritage which binds us to our roots. Allow yourselves to be drawn by the beautiful ideal which animated the builders of cathedrals and abbeys when they created those vibrant signs of God's presence in our land. May their ideal become your own and may the Holy Spirit, which looks into the depths of the human heart, inspire you to pray in those places, giving thanks and interceding for humankind in the third millennium".

The Holy Father then greeted Polish pilgrims in Castelgandolfo, recalling how "yesterday we celebrated Our Lady of the Scapular (Our Lady of Mount Carmel). The scapular", he explained, "is a special sign of union with Jesus and Mary. For those who wear it, it is a sign of filial reliance on the protection of the Immaculate Virgin. In our battle against evil, may Mary our Mother swathe us in her mantle".ANG/ VIS 20110718 (320)

VATICAN CITY, 18 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Najib Bin Abdul Razak, prime minister of Malaysia. The pirme minister subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

"In the cordial conversations the positive developments in bilateral relations were discussed, and an agreement was reached to establish diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See.

"In addition, the political and social situation in the world and on the Asian continent was reviewed, with particular reference to the importance of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue for the promotion of peace, justice and greater understanding between peoples".OP/ VIS 20110718 (140)

- Appointed Fr. Jose Manuel Garcia Cordeiro, rector of the Pontifical Portuguese College in Rome, as bishop of Braganca-Miranda (area 6,545, population 151,700, Catholics 149,200, priests 100, permanent deacons 4, religious 119), Portugal. The bishop-elect was born in Vila Nova de Seles, Angola in 1967 and ordained a priest in 1991. He succeeds Bishop Antonio Montes Moreira O.F.M., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Antonio Pacella, official of the "Tipografia Vaticana - Editrice L'Osservatore Romano", as head of the management office of the same organisation.

- Fr. Fulgence Razakarivony M.S., vice secretary of the administrative secretariat of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar, as bishop of Ihosy (area 40,900, population 400,000, Catholics 72,000, priests 34, religious 125), Madagascar. The bishop-elect was born in Betsiholany, Madagascar in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1993.

- Msgr. Grzegorz Rys of the clergy of the archdiocese of Krakow, Poland, rector of the major seminary, and Fr. Damian Andrzej Muskus O.F.M., provincial secretary for formation, as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Krakow (area 5,730, population 1,601,000, Catholics 1,556,000, priests 2,089, religious 4,501). Bishop-elect Rys was born in Krakow in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1988. Bishop-elect Muskus was born in Nowa Sarzyna, Poland in 1967 and ordained a priest in 1993.NER:RE:NA:NEA/ VIS 20110718 (300)

Yesterday at Shantou in the region of Guandong Fr. Joseph Huang Bingzhang was ordained a bishop without pontifical mandate. A similar episode took place on 29 June when Fr. Paul Lei Shiyin was ordained as bishop of Leshan. A number of bishops who are in communion with the Pope were obliged to attend yesterday's ceremony.

Following the Leshan ordination, the Holy See released a declaration highlighting how a bishop ordained "without the papal mandate, and hence illegitimately, has no authority to govern the diocesan Catholic community, and the Holy See does not recognise him as the bishop of that diocese".OP/ VIS 20110715 (150)

VATICAN CITY, 15 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The administrative council of the Populorum Progressio Foundation is due to meet from 19 to 22 July at the monastery of the Transfiguration at Castanhal, near the Brazilian city of Belem do Para, to deliberate on the financing of projects in support of poor indigenous, mixed race and African-American communities of Latin America and the Caribbean. Populorum Progressio was founded in 1992 and is part of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum".

The administrative council is composed of the following members: Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the foundation and of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"; Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico and president of the administrative council; Archbishop Edmundo Luis Abastoflor Montero of La Paz, Bolivia; Archbishop Alberto Taveira Correa of Belem do Para, Brazil; Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil, Ecuador; Bishop Jose Luis Astigarraga Lizarralde C.P., apostolic vicar of Yurimaguas, Peru; and Msgr. Segundo Tejado Munoz, representative of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum". The Foundation receives it principal financial support from the Italian Episcopal Conference's committee for charitable initiatives in favour of the Third World.

A communique made public today notes that, since this year's meeting is being held in Brazil, "interest will focus particularly on indigenous peoples, ... and on the poorest strata of the population. Special attention will also be given to the pastoral guidelines that emerged from the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, guidelines which the Foundation has already sought to put into effect".

On 19 July the meeting will examine the socio-political and ecclesial situation in the various countries of Latin America in order to seek a better understandings of the needs which the projects financed by the Foundation are called to meet. On the same day, at the invitation of Bishop Carlo Verzeletti, a solemn celebration will be held in the new cathedral of Castanhal. On 20 and 21 July the projects presented by bishops in the various countries will be examined in detail.

The communique notes that 216 projects have been presented this year, involving 19 countries and a total value of USD 2,980,470. The number of projects presented by country are: Colombia (50), Brazil (43), Peru (23), Ecuador (18), El Salvador (13), Haiti (12), Guatemala (10), Argentina (8), Bolivia (8), Paraguay (6), Chile (5), Cuba (5), Costa Rica (3), Venezuela (3), Mexico (3), Nicaragua (2), Dominican Republic (2), Honduras (1) and Uruguay (1). "It is to be hoped", the communique says, "that projects will also be forthcoming from countries with indigenous communities living in difficult situations of marginalisation, on the outskirts of large cities or in particularly isolated and inaccessible areas".

Thursday, July 14, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 14 JUL 2011 (VIS) - An exhibition entitled "the Man, the Face, the Mystery" was presented this morning in the Vatican Museums. The exhibition is due to be inaugurated in the State Museum of the Republic of San Marino on 20 August. Participating in today's presentation were Antonio Paolucci, director of the Vatican Museums; Romeo Morri, secretary for culture and education of the Republic of San Marino; Sante Carlucci, ambassador of the Republic of San Marino to the Holy See, and Giovanni Gentili, an art historian and curator of the exhibition.

The works on display in the exhibition, which was organised in the light of the Holy Father's recent visit to San Marino, all come from the Vatican Museums. They "document how artists (from Greeks to Romans and moderns) have represented the facial features of men and women in an attempt to portray the soul which, together with the countenance, makes up the identity of each individual". According to a communique released today, such attempts were characterised in portraiture "by the imitation of models - either gods or heroes of the classical age - until that crucial moment of history when the 'model' par excellence appeared. With His face Christ revealed the face of the Father, God the Creator, and since then man's history, also as documented in the figurative arts, has been played out in the acceptance or rejection of that fact".

The Vatican Museums' Department of Classical Antiquities has provided a number of masterpieces such as the famous "head of Athena", an original Greek work from the fifth century BC; the "bust of Antinous" from Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, and the "portrait of Claudia Semne in the guise of Venus". Other pieces have come from the Department of Etruscan-Italic Antiquities (two extraordinary terracotta heads, one masculine and one feminine), from the Department of Paleochristian Art (the rare fourth century mosaic "portraits of Flavius Julianus and his wife Simplicia Rustica"), and from the Department of Oriental Antiquities (the "portrait of a woman from Palmyra" formerly in the collection of art critic Federico Zeri).

Other depictions of man in the classical age have been provided by the Department of Decorative Arts, including the "bust of Trajan" and the "portraits of Peter and Paul". The latter date from the fifth century and are considered to be among the oldest of their kind in the world. A large number of the works on display in the exhibition come from the Department of Mediaeval Art; they include the twelfth-century painting of "Christ delivering a blessing" and the mosaic "portrait of St. Luke", which decorated the facade of the Vatican Basilica in the Middle Ages. Among the paintings and sculptures from the modern age are various works by Guercino and Guido Reni, as well as the "portrait of a man" by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

The last section of the exhibition is dedicated to the "Holy Face". It includes a seventeenth-century copy of the image of "Christ acheiropoieta" from the Lateran (the original being impossible to move); the famous veil of the "Veronica" from the Pontifical Sacristy, normally inaccessible to the public and the only surviving reproduction of that venerated relic which was held in the Vatican but lost in the Sack of Rome in 1527, and the "Sainte Face" by George Rouault. The exhibition ends with works by a number of twentieth-century artists including Fausto Pirandello, Francesco Messina and Graham Sutherland..../ VIS 20110714 (580)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 13 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Speaking on Vatican Radio, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, announced a new pastoral initiative being promoted by his dicastery. The initiative has the name of "Metropolis Mission" and will begin in Lent 2012.

Archbishop Fisichella explained that the scheme is the result of a meeting which took place in the Vatican on 11 July with European cardinals and archbishops of Barcelona, Budapest, Brussels, Dublin, Cologne, Lisbon, Liverpool, Paris, Turin, Vienna and Warsaw.

The new initiative, which will initially involve only large European cities, is divided into two phases: firstly, ordinary pastoral care activities particularly in the field of formation, and secondly, during Lent 2012, "the simultaneous implementation of these activities" in the aforementioned European cities.

"This is an initial response to the request made by the Pope during our first plenary meeting, to overcome division and to show signs of unity", said the archbishop.

During the 11 July meeting with European cardinals and archbishops, emphasis was given "to the fact that the 'Metropolis Mission' should be a concrete message sent by the great cities - the great dioceses - of Europe to the Synod of Bishops of 2012, which has new evangelisation as its theme".

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 12 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Jean-Claude Hollerich S.J., vice rector of Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, as archbishop of Luxembourg (area 2,586, population 500,000, Catholics 395,000, priests 211, permanent deacons 6, religious 636), Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The archbishop-elect was born in Differdange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1990. He succeeds Archbishop Fernand Franck, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.NER:RE/ VIS 20110712 (90)

Monday, July 11, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today Benedict XVI appeared at the balcony overlooking the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered there. The Pope is spending the summer months at his residence in Castelgandolfo.

The Pope focused his remarks on today's Gospel in which Jesus addresses the multitude with the famous parable of the sower. "In some way this is an 'autobiographical' episode", he said, "because it reflects Jesus' own experience as a preacher. He identifies Himself with the sower who, while spreading the good seed of God's Word, becomes aware of the differing effects it produces depending on the way it is accepted. There are those who listen superficially but fail to welcome it; those who accept it immediately but have no constancy and lose everything; those who are overwhelmed by the cares and lures of the world, and those who receive and absorb it like good soil, for them the Word brings forth abundant fruit.

"Yet this Gospel narrative also highlights the 'method' of Jesus' preaching; in other words, His use of parables", the Holy Father added. "His disciples ask Him: 'why do you speak to them in parables?' Jesus replies by distinguishing between the disciples and the crowds: to the former, who have already chosen to follow Him, He can speak openly of the Kingdom of God, but to others He has to use parables in order to simulate a decision, a conversion of heart. This is because parables, by their nature, require an effort of interpretation, they appeal to our intelligence but also to our freedom. ... In the final analysis the true 'Parable' of God is Jesus Himself ... Who, in human form, both hides and reveals divinity. Thus, God does not force us to believe in Him; rather, He draws us to Him with the truth and goodness of His incarnate Son. Love, in fact, always respects freedom".

The Holy Father concluded his remarks by recalling that tomorrow is the Feast of St. Benedict, abbot and patron of Europe. "In the light of today's Gospel reading we look to him as a master of profound and persistent attention to the Word of God. We must always learn from the great patriarch of western monasticism to give God the place He deserves, first place, offering Him our daily activities through our morning and evening prayer".ANG/ VIS 20110711 (420)

VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2011 (VIS) - After praying the Angelus at midday today from the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the Pope mentioned the fact that today marks the "Day of the Sea", in other words "the day dedicated to the apostolate in the maritime world".

The Holy Father addressed a special greeting to "chaplains and volunteers who work to being pastoral care to seafarers, fishermen and their families. I also give assurances of my prayers for those seafarers who, alas, find themselves as hostages of pirates", he said. "My hope is that they be treated with respect and humanity, and I pray for their families that they may remain strong in the faith and not lose hope of soon being reunited with their loved ones".

Turning then to address French-speaking pilgrims including members of the choir from the basilica of Notre-Dame de Lausanne, Switzerland, Benedict XVI invited them "to draw strength from contemplating the splendour of the Creation. Parents, teach your children to observe nature, to respect and protect it as a magnificent gift that makes us aware of the greatness of the Creator. Speaking in parables, Jesus used the language of nature to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom to His disciples. May the images He used become familiar to us all!"ANG/ VIS 20110711 (230)

- Appointed Bishop Andre Gazaille, auxiliary of Montreal, Canada, as bishop of Nicolet (area 3,682, population 209,066, Catholics 203,035, priests 122, permanent deacons 25, religious 401), Canada. He succeeds Bishop Raymond Saint-Gelais, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Christian Lepine of the clergy of the archdiocese of Montreal, Canada, pastor of the parishes of "Notre-Dame-des-Champs" and "Purification-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie", and Fr. Thomas Dowd, also of the clergy of the archdiocese of Montreal, director of the archdiocesan formation service, as auxiliaries of Montreal (area 1,103, population 2,574,000, Catholics 1,640,000, priests 1,063, permanent deacons 100, religious 4,158). Bishop-elect Lepine was born in Montreal in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1983. Bishop-elect Dowd was born in Montreal in 1970 and ordained a priest in 2001.

On Saturday 9 July it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Emmanuel Barbara O.F.M. Cap., minister provincial of the Capuchin Fathers for Malta and president of the European Capuchin Conference, as bishop of Malindi (area 33,254, population 539,000, Catholics 25,509, priests 35, religious 74), Kenya. The bishop-elect was born in Gzira, Malta in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1974.

- Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico, as his special envoy to the closing celebrations of the Jubilee Year marking the 375th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady of the Angeles, patron of Costa Rica. The event is due to be held in the Costa Rican city of Cartago on 2 August.

Friday, July 8, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 8 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. yesterday, shortly after his arrival at the Pontifical Villas in Castelgandolfo, the Pope addressed some brief remarks to people gathered there to greet him.

"Thank you and good evening to you all, dear friends", he said. "I have arrived here to begin my holidays. Here I have everything: the mountain, the lake, ... a beautiful church with a recently restored facade and good people. I am so happy to be here. Let us hope the Lord grants us a peaceful holiday. My heartfelt blessing to you all. May Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you. Good evening and thank you"..../ VIS 20110708 (130)

"Tomorrow 9 July, the new Republic of South Sudan will be proclaimed in the city of Juba. For this solemn occasion, the Holy Father has sent an official delegation headed by Cardinal John Njue, archbishop of Nairobi and president of the Kenya Episcopal Conference. The delegation, which will also include Archbishop Leo Boccardi, apostolic nuncio to Sudan, and Msgr. Javier Herrera Corona, secretary of the apostolic nunciature to Kenya, will bring the authorities of the new State, and all its citizens many of whom are Catholic, best wishes for peace and prosperity.

"As Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, said yesterday when receiving a Sudanese parliamentary delegation led by Ahmed Ibrahim Elthair, president of the Sudanese National Assembly, peace, reconciliation and respect for universal rights (especially religious liberty) are the fundamental pillars upon which to construct the new socio-political circumstances of the region, and vital conditions in order to be able to look to a future of hope.

"The Holy See, which has had stable diplomatic relations with the authorities of Khartoum since 1972 and will give due consideration to any request from the government of Southern Sudan, invites the international community to support Sudan and the new independent State so that, through frank, peaceful and constructive dialogue, they may find just and equitable solutions to outstanding questions; at the same time she expresses the hope that those peoples will enjoy a journey of peace, freedom and development".OP/ VIS 20110708 (270)

- Appointed Fr. Dionisio Hisiilenapo of the clergy of the diocese of Ondjiva, Angola, executive secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome, as bishop of Namibe (area 97,097, population 1,202,928, Catholics 272,154, priests 15, religious 35), Angola. The bishop-elect was born in Epumbu, Angola in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1998.

- Erected the new diocese of Sylhet (area 12,595, population 8,261,614, Catholics 17,000, priests 21, religious 33) Bangladesh, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Dhaka, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan church. He appointed Bishop Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze O.M.I. of Khulna, Bangladesh, as first bishop of the new diocese.

- Transferred the diocese of Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from the ecclesiastical province of Castries, Saint Lucia, to that of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

- Appointed Msgr. Charles Jason Gordon of the clergy of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, moderator of the archdiocesan Curia as bishop of Bridgetown (area 430, population 277,000, Catholics 11,000, priests 11, religious 14), Barbados, and of Kingstown (area 388, population 120,000, Catholics 15,469, priests 11, religious 14), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The bishop-elect was born in Port of Spain in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1991.

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Harris C.S.Sp., pastor and judicial vicar for the clergy of the archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, as coadjutor archbishop of the same archdiocese (area 5,128, population 1,262,400, Catholics 289,460, priests 107, religious 141). The archbishop-elect was born in Trinidad in 1942 and ordained a priest in 1968.ECE:NER:NEC/ VIS 20110708 (310)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 7 JUL 2011 (VIS) - In a note published today, the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household announced that this evening the Holy Father will travel to the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, where he will spend the summer.

Over the summer months private and special audiences will be suspended, as will the Wednesday general audiences of 13, 20 and 27 July. On Sundays and Solemnities during this period, the Pope will pray the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo. General audiences will resume again from Wednesday 3 August.
PD/ VIS 20110707 (100)

VATICAN CITY, 7 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office has released the following note:

"The Holy Father Benedict XVI today accepted the request presented by Cardinal Attilio Nicora to be relieved of his duties as president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) so as to be able to dedicate all his energies to the new Financial Information Authority, which the Pope brought into being with his 'Motu Proprio' of 30 December 2010. Having begun the initial phase of establishing the new structure and taken the first steps to implement measures to counter money laundering, attention must now be given to interchange and dialogue with international institutions so that, by means of the necessary evaluations, the Holy See and Vatican City State may obtain recognition as 'a non-EU equivalent State'".

- Accepted the resignation from the office of president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) presented by Cardinal Attilio Nicora, president of the Financial Information Authority.

- Appointed Archbishop-Bishop Domenico Calcagno, secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), as president of that body.

- Appointed Msgr. Luigi Misto, director of the higher institute for religious studies of the Paul VI Ambrosian Foundation of Villa Cagnola in Gazzada Schianno, Italy, and head of the archdiocese of Milan's office for the promotion and economic support of the Church, as secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA).
NA/ VIS 20110707 (130)

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 6 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning Benedict XVI visited an exhibition dedicated to Blessed John Paul II. The exhibition is currently being held in the Charlemagne Wing at the left colonnade of St. Peter's Square.
BXVI-VISIT/ VIS 20110706 (50)

VATICAN CITY, 6 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Message for World Tourism Day published by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples was issued today. The Day, which is due to be celebrated on 27 September, has as its theme: "Tourism linking cultures".

The message has been published in Italian, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Extracts from the English-language version are given below:

"The theme of this year, 'Tourism linking cultures', wishes to highlight the importance that travelling has in the meeting of the different cultures of the world, especially in our present day world where more than ninety million people travel internationally, favoured thus by modern means of communication and lower associated costs".

"It is necessary to ensure that people not only accept the existence of other cultures - as Benedict XVI affirms - but also desire to be enriched by them', welcoming the true, good, and beautiful therein".

"However, regarding dialogue, the first condition that is required is that of knowing how to listen, to want to be questioned by the other, desiring to discover the message within each monument, cultural manifestation, all of this being done with respect, without prejudice or exclusion, and avoiding biased readings. It is thus equally important 'to know how to welcome' as to 'know how to travel'".

"The cultural patrimony of the Church is indeed immense". It "arises from the experience of faith, of the encounter between culture and the Gospel, as the fruit of the profound religious experience of the Christian community. Certainly, the works of art and historical memory have an enormous potential to evangelise, in as much as they are placed in the context of the 'via pulchritudinis', the way of beauty, which is 'a privileged and fascinating path on which to approach the Mystery of God'.

"It must be an objective priority of our pastoral care of tourism to show the true meaning of this cultural heritage, born from faith and for the glory of God. ... It is therefore important that we present this patrimony in its authenticity, illustrating its true religious nature, placing it in the liturgical context in which and for which it was born.

"As we are conscious that the Church 'exists in order to evangelise', we must always ask ourselves: How can we welcome people in holy places so that they come to better know and love the Lord? How can we facilitate an encounter between God and each one of the people that are there welcomed?". In this context, the Message highlights "the importance of an adequate welcome, ... manifested by a variety of elements: from the simplest details to personal availability to listen, to accompaniment throughout the duration of the stay.

"In this regard, and with the objective of promoting this inter-cultural dialogue and taking advantage of our cultural patrimony at the service of evangelisation, it is fitting to adopt a series of concrete pastoral initiatives. All of these must be integrated into a broad programme of interpretation that, together with historical-cultural information, illustrates in a clear and accessible way the original and profound religious meaning of these cultural manifestations, using for this modern and attractive means, and taking advantage of the personal and technological resources that are at our disposal.

"Among these concrete proposals there is the elaboration of the idea of tourist travel offering visitation to the places that are most important in the religious and cultural patrimony of the diocese. Along with this, broad time periods of open hours should be favoured, thus making available an adequate welcoming. In this way, the spiritual and cultural formation of tourist guides is important, and thus one can see the value in the possibility of creating organisations of Catholic tour guides".

"We cannot allow ourselves to view the tourist visit as simply a step in pre-evangelisation, but on the contrary, we must see it as a platform to realise the clear and explicit announcement of Jesus Christ".

The Message concludes by officially announcing "the celebration of the seventh World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism, that will take place in Cancun, Mexico, from 23 to 27 April 2012".
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VATICAN CITY, 6 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, and Elmar Mammadyarov, minister for foreign affairs of Azerbaijan, exchanged the instruments of ratification of the Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Agreement, which is written in English and Azeri and includes a preamble and eight articles, regulates the position of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan. It comes into force with the exchange of instruments of ratification, as per article 8 of the Agreement itself.
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- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, presented by Bishop Nei Paulo Moretto, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Alessandro Carmelo Ruffinoni C.S.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 5 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father visited the headquarters of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper, which is currently celebrating the 150th anniversary of its foundation. Its first edition appeared on 1 July 1861.

The Pope greeted the director, vice director and journalists, congratulating them on the current anniversary. "By your daily work, out of sight and not without fatigue", he told them, "you create this unique form of communication which acts at the service of the ministry of Peter's Successor, making a specific contribution to the spread of the Gospel and the witness of truth. Indeed, by propagating the Pope's teaching, by providing information on his activities and those of the Roman Curia, and echoing Catholic life in the world, the 'Osservatore Romano' helps the faithful to consider contemporary issues in the light of the Word of Christ and the Magisterium of the Church, while remaining attentive to the signs of the times. In this perspective, the Holy See's newspaper is a vital resource, which needs to be increasingly understood and appreciated".

"Dear friends, continue to work joyfully in the great of 'Areopagus' of modern communications, treasuring the long history of this eminent newspaper. The memory of the past is fruitful only if it becomes an occasion to draw nourishment from deep roots, and to look to the future with hope".

The Holy Father concluded by encouraging those who work on the newspaper "not to forget that, although you certainly need appropriate technical and professional training in order to carry out the mission with which you have been entrusted, what is vital above all is that you incessantly cultivate a spirit of prayer, service and faithful adherence to the teachings of Christ and His Church".
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VATICAN CITY, 5 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At midday today in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held to present an exhibition entitled "'Lux in Arcana' - the Vatican Secret Archives unveiled". The exhibition will be inaugurated in Rome's Capitoline Museums in February 2012.

Cardinal Bertone pointed out that "the inherent richness of this exhibition is amplified by the fact that it is being organised outside the Vatican, on the Capitol Hill which symbolically represents the 'heart' of Rome and its relationship with the papal city down the centuries. The challenge was to make the resources of the Vatican Secret Archives, with all their academic knowledge and experience, converge with those of the capital city, the Capitoline Museums and the office of the superintendent for archives and museums of the local authorities of Rome".

For his part, Cardinal Farina explained that "ancient pontifical documents of great importance, as well as letters concerning significant aspects of the life of the Church in the world, will be leaving the Vatican for the first time and will be available to be viewed by visitors to the Capitol Hill, traditional headquarters of the government of Rome".

Bishop Pagano noted that the exhibition "aims to throw light on the reality of this venerable institution (the Vatican Archives), on its nature, its contents and its activities. Hence the choice of theme as 'Lux in Arcana'".

"Among the millions of documents held in the Vatican Secret Archives we have chosen around one hundred which illustrate the complexity of the overall holdings", said the bishop. These include "the 'Dictatus papae' of Gregory VII (1073-1085); Clement VII's letter to the English parliament on the matrimonial cause of Henry VIII (1530), and the codex of the trial of Galileo Galilei (1616-1633)".

The exhibition, he explained, "thus offers the wider public its first chance to enter the reality of the Vatican Secret Archives. ... Modern technology will enable visitors to enter the Pope's archive and to understand the role it has played over the centuries at the service of the Holy See and the world of culture, preserving and handing down an enviable patrimony of knowledge".

Finally the mayor of Rome highlighted how "the city of Rome, capital of Italy and see of the Roman Pontiff, is proud to host this event which, in some way, underlines the bond between the secular city and the religious city. ... It is a courageous gesture on the part of the Holy See to organise an exhibition at this level, at the same time agreeing to let these precious documents leave the Vatican. 'Lux Arcana' is an opportunity to recount to Romans and pilgrims the extraordinary adventure of man".
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Monday, July 4, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 2 JUL 2011 (VIS) - At the end of a luncheon today, offered by the College of Cardinals to the Pope to mark the sixtieth anniversary of his ordination as a priest, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College, congratulated the Holy Father and, in the name of all those present, gave him an offering for the poor of Rome, the Pope's own diocese, "in view", he said, "of the urgent needs of so many Romans, as well as of numerous immigrants and refugees".

The Holy Father, having thanked the cardinals for their gift, made some remarks. "This is a moment of gratitude for the Lord's guidance; for everything He has given me and forgiven me over these years", he said. "Yet it is also a moment to remember. In 1951 the world was completely different: there was no television, there was no internet, there were no computers, there were no mobile phones. The world from which we come truly seems prehistoric. Above all, our cities were in ruins, the economy destroyed, there was great material and spiritual poverty. Yet there was also a great energy and a will to rebuild this country and to renew ... the community on the foundation of our faith".

"Then came Vatican Council II where all the hopes we had seemed to come true. This was followed by the cultural revolution of 1968, difficult years during which the ship of the Lord appeared to be taking on water, almost about to sink. Nonetheless the Lord, Who seemed then to be sleeping, was present and He led us forward. Those were the unforgettable years in which I worked alongside Blessed Pope John Paul II. Finally, came the unexpected day of 19 April 2005 when the Lord called me to a new task and, only by virtue of His strength, abandoning myself to Him, was I able at that moment to say 'yes'.

"Over these sixty years nearly everything has changed; but the Lord's faithfulness has remained", the Holy Father added in conclusion. "He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. This is our certainty, which shows us the way to the future. The time to remember, the time of gratitude, is also the time of hope".
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VATICAN CITY, 2 JUL 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father greeted faithful from the Italian diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti, which is currently celebrating its diocesan synod. The group was accompanied by their bishop, Msgr. Mario Paciello.

"A synod is an event which gives us concrete experience of being the 'People of God', of being Church, a pilgrim community travelling in history towards its eschatological fulfilment in God", said the Pope. "This means we must recognise that the Church does not of herself possess the vital principle: she depends on Christ, of Whom she is the effective sign and instrument. In her relationship with the Lord Jesus lies her deepest identity: that of being a gift of God to humankind, which prolongs the presence and salvific work of the Son through the Holy Spirit. In this perspective we can see that the Church is essentially a mystery of love at the service of humanity, with a view to its sanctification. ... Being Church has its source and its true meaning in the communion of love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: the Blessed Trinity is not only the model, but generates and moulds the Church as a mystery of communion".

The Holy Father continued: "We must begin from this truth, always and anew, in order to achieve a more intense understanding and experience of being Church: 'People of God. 'Body of Christ', 'Communion'. Otherwise we run the risk of reducing things to a horizontal dimension which perverts the identity of the Church and the announcement of the faith. The Church is not a social or philanthropic organisation, like many others that exist: she is the Community of God, she is a community which believes and loves, which adores the Lord Jesus and opens her 'veils' at the breath of the Holy Spirit; thus she is a community capable of evangelisation".

"Many men and women of our time need to encounter the Lord, or to rediscover the beauty of the God Who is close, the God Who in Jesus Christ reveals His face as Father and calls us to recognise the meaning and value of life. The current moment of history is marked by lights and shadows. We are witnessing complex forms of behaviour: closure, narcissism, desire to possess and consume, sentiments and affections divorced from responsibility. There are many reasons for this disorientation which finds expression in profound existential unease, but underlying everything is the negation of the transcendent dimension of man and of the basic relationship with God. For this reason its is vital for Christian communities to promote valid and compelling itineraries of faith".
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VATICAN CITY, 2 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See met in the Vatican from 30 June to 1 July, under the presidency of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

A communique published today explains that the Holy See consolidated financial statements for 2010, presented to the cardinals during the meeting by Cardinal Velasio De Paolis C.S., president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, closed with a surplus of 9,848,124 euro, the difference between an income of 245,195,561 euro and outgoings of 235,347,437 euro.

"The 2010 statement", reads the communique, "notwithstanding elements of uncertainty and instability due to the world economic-financial situation, would appear to reinforce the positive tendency that emerged in the financial year 2009 which, moreover, had already absorbed the negative effects deriving from the great financial crisis of 2008".

The outgoings are due above all to the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of the dicasteries and offices of the Holy See, which in 2010 employed 2,806 people, as compared with the 2,762 employees in 2009.

The meeting also examined the consolidated financial statements of the Governorate of Vatican City State for 2010, which show a surplus of 21,043,000 euro, the difference between an income of 255,890,112 euro and outgoings of 234,847,011 euro. "This result has been achieved", the communique explains, "thanks to the excellent performance of the Vatican Museums (in particular the increased number of visitors, a countertendency with respect to the crisis in the world tourism sector) and the recovery of the financial markets". A total of 1,876 people work under the jurisdiction of the Governorate.

As usual the financial statements have been submitted for verification and certification.

The communique highlights how "the Governorate, the administration of which is independent from the Holy See and from other institutions, supervises the economic requirements and territorial administration of the State, supplying the necessary support structures to the Apostolic See and its activities. In particular, the Governorate is responsible for the maintenance and conservation of what can rightly be considered as one of humanity's most important historical and artistic treasures".

Finally the consolidated financial statements of Peter's Pence were also presented. This fund consists of offers made to the Holy Father by the particular Churches, especially for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, and contributions by institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life, foundations and various members of the faithful. In 2010 a total of 67,704,416 U.S. dollars was raised, a decrease with respect to last year. "The largest contributions came from Catholics in the United States, Italy and France. Particularly significant, considering the number of Catholics, were the contributions from Korea and Japan".

Bishops, depending on their resources and in keeping with canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law, donated 27,362,258 U.S. dollars, which also represents a decrease with respect to last year.

The communique concludes by noting that the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR) donated some 55 million euros for the activities of the Holy Father.
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